Meaty and complex; a slow-paced, character-driven tale.
In a rural community plagued by racism, young neighbors forge an unexpected friendship.
A new family has moved in across the street from 16-year-old Olive and her mom. Olive recognizes the boy, Samir, from English class. After being deported from Bhutan and living in a refugee camp, Samir and his family have settled in coastal New Hampshire, where they plan to open a Nepali restaurant, a unique contribution to the predominantly white community. Olive’s boyfriend, Gabe, who’s influenced by his white supremacist family’s harsh anti-immigration stance, blames immigrants for taking jobs from Americans and smuggling fentanyl into the country. Olive is deeply in love with Gabe despite his racism and aggression, but she begins to question their relationship when Gabe targets Samir with physical violence and verbal abuse, taunting him to “go home.” After someone throws a brick through Samir’s window, Olive wonders whether Gabe is involved. And as the racist attacks against Samir and his family intensify, Olive’s forced to reevaluate her future with Gabe in a compelling character arc. Readers follow the leads through alternating third-person chapters as their stories gradually unfold, until their voices converge in a final chapter headed “Samir and Olive.” The teens discover a deep connection through warm moments, such as Olive’s teaching Samir to swim. The interplay between the new friends, who are united by dreams of a better life, is quietly absorbing.
Meaty and complex; a slow-paced, character-driven tale. (historical note, authors’ notes) (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781773069104
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Groundwood
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense.
Everyone believes that Salil Singh killed his girlfriend, Andrea Bell, five years ago—except Pippa Fitz-Amobi.
Pip has known and liked Sal since childhood; he’d supported her when she was being bullied in middle school. For her senior capstone project, Pip researches the disappearance of former Fairview High student Andie, last seen on April 18, 2014, by her younger sister, Becca. The original investigation concluded with most of the evidence pointing to Sal, who was found dead in the woods, apparently by suicide. Andie’s body was never recovered, and Sal was assumed by most to be guilty of abduction and murder. Unable to ignore the gaps in the case, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence, beginning with interviewing his younger brother, Ravi. With his help, Pip digs deeper, unveiling unsavory facts about Andie and the real reason Sal’s friends couldn’t provide him with an alibi. But someone is watching, and Pip may be in more danger than she realizes. Pip’s sleuthing is both impressive and accessible. Online articles about the case and interview transcripts are provided throughout, and Pip’s capstone logs offer insights into her thought processes as new evidence and suspects arise. Jackson’s debut is well-executed and surprises readers with a connective web of interesting characters and motives. Pip and Andie are white, and Sal is of Indian descent.
A treat for mystery readers who enjoy being kept in suspense. (Mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9848-9636-0
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
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